1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an electronic mail transmitting apparatus for transmitting document data prepared by an application program via electronic mail and, more particularly, to an electronic mail transmitting apparatus which transmits document data prepared by a specific application program such as a word processor program or an editor program via electronic mail with a simple operation similar to that performed for designating a printing operation. The present invention also relates to a computer readable recording medium which stores a program causing a computer to perform a printer driver function having an electronic mail transmitting function.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a document prepared by a specific application program (hereinafter referred to as an application) such as a word processor program is transmitted via electronic mail, the document can be transmitted as a text of an electric mail. Alternatively, the document is encoded so as to produce an attachment file so that the attachment file can be attached to the electronic mail.
When the document prepared by the specific application is attached to electronic mail as an attachment file, the receiver side must have the specific application that prepared the document so as to display or print the document on the receiver side. However, in order to display or print the document on the receiver side which does not have the specific application that prepared the document, the document is attached to an electric mail after converting the document data into a general document reader software format such as a portable document format (PDF).
The conversion of the document data format can be done by an independent application exclusive for converting the document data into the general document reader software format. However, in general, a conversion function provided in a printer driver is used. According to the conversion function of the printer driver, document data can be converted into a data format that can be processed by a printer application.
The above-mentioned electronic mail transmission of a document prepared by a specific application is performed according to the following procedure.
First, as shown in FIG. 1, a document A stored as a file 1d is retrieved by a specific application such as a word processor application for preparing a document, and an instruction is made to print the document A. Then, a printer driver 4 is started up, and the document A is converted into a document reader software format by a conversion function of the printer driver 4. The thus-converted document A is stored as a converted file 1e. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 2, an electronic mail application 5 is started, and an instruction is made to prepare an electric mail. Then, an E-mail address and a text of the electronic mail are input. After that, the stored file 1e is attached to the electronic mail, and the electronic mail is transmitted to a computer network 3.
Additionally, when a facsimile modem is connected to a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC) so as to perform facsimile transmission by the PC, a method in which a document prepared by an application is transmitted by facsimile via a printer driver may be used. The printer driver having such a facsimile function may be provided with an address-book function for designating an address and a function for attaching a facsimile cover letter. Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 8-307702 discloses such a printer driver.
As mentioned above, in order to transmit via electric mail a document prepared by a specific application such as a word processor application after converting the document into a data format that can be processed on a receiver side, an application (a printer driver or an application exclusive for conversion) different from the specific application which prepares the document is needed so as to convert the data format of the document. Additionally, an electronic mail application must be started each time an electronic mail is transmitted, and an operation for attaching the converted document to an electronic mail must be performed by a user. Such an operation for converting the document and an operation for preparing the attachment file are annoying work for the user.